(Closed) How to not hate exercising

I don’t know how to not hate exercising. I know it’s good and healthy, but I hate doing it. I hate getting sweaty. I hate my muscles hurting. I hate getting winded. I never played sports. Ever. My parents even pulled me out of tee-ball because I would sit in the outfield making dandelion crowns and necklaces. In high school, I was part of a competitive show choir (I was Glee before Glee!). We danced a lot so I guess that’s a form of cardio.

But now I do nothing. And did I mention my parents and one sister are marathon runners? Compared to them I am an unhealthy slacker.

Do you actually enjoy dancing? It can be a great way to get some exercise in. Does your city parks/rec dept offer adult recreation classes? I’ve taken some dance classes through our city and they’ve been lots of fun (not to mention super cheap). Zumba’s fun too! Some friends and I went to the classes together so we’d be less likely to skip.

Try something new? I’m a terrible exerciser (thank you respiratory disorder) yet I love to ride. Horseback riding is a major workout, but when you’re going to ride it’s more like ‘yay I get to play with the big fuzzies’ rather than uggh i’m going to get sweaty and gross. Try some new activites that are a bit aerobic and you might find something you enjoy.

HAHA JK. Honestly you probably just have to keep trying different things until you find something that doesn’t make you stare at the clock the entire time. There’s no right or wrong answer — just keep trying out different things until you find something you can truly look forward to, or not totally hate!

Try different things til you find something you enjoy! I do best with things that are distracting or that I can do with a friend. If you liked dancing, you should try Zumba! I’ve burned 700 calories in a class before, and I hardly notice the time go by. Its so much fun!

@howtobeawife: I’m LOL’ing at this post. I totally hate working out in the traditional sense too.

If you enjoy dancing but Zumba’ing in a big group makes you self concious…what about doing Zumba videos at home? We have Youtube and Netflix on our TV through the Xbox and I find awesome Zumba, yoga and other workout videos online that I do right in my livingroom. It’s kind of fun…

I do lots of exercise videos at home too. pretty much all of them on youtube or just downloaded. search YouTube for Billy Blanks Jr. he does dance workouts and also happens to be ridiculously attractive and charming. I think I’m actually in love with him. I don’t even notice that I’m working out because I’m just grinning at him. seriously, try one of his videos (‘dancers butt’ is only ten minutes and give you a good idea of what he’s like).

I agree with others, first the key is to find something you like. And to start thinking about exercise outside of the traditional sense. Exercising does not have to mean you put on your gym clothes, buy a gym membership and run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. There are so many other ways to be active.

However, after saying that. I do believe there is a way to learn to like the traditional form of exercising. I understand the hate getting sweaty, winded, muscle soreness bit. But the good news about exercising is when you start doing it regularly, all of that goes away. Except maybe the sweating. But you’ll find yourself getting stronger, being able to run further without being winded, etc. And suddenly you’re so proud you want to push yourself a little further then a little further. It’s all about building the habit. The first couple of times will suck. You will be sore and want to give up. But if you realize it will get better and you form it into a habit you might actually end up liking it.

Now that I’m done my motivational speaking, ha ha. Another way to keep yoruself exercising is find some accountability. You could find a friend to work out with. This way, if you’re going to skip the gym you have to tell someone. Another great tool I think is My Fitness Pal. Join that and start gaining some friends through the forums. I find being on there and having friends who notice when I log/dont log work outs is really helpful. Accountability is key.

Find something you like. I am not a fan of exercise until I am really into it and addicted. I ended up buying a load of XBox Kinect dancing games and I love using them. They pep me up and a new one with all new songs seems to come out every few months and at $30 it is cheaper than a gym membership! Some of them even have ‘sweat it out’ sections to really work up a sweat. That’s working for me and it doesn’t even feel liek exercise.

I also got an hypnosis app that encourages exercise and fitness motivation. It may be a placebo, but i have been a lot more motivated since listening to it at bedtime. It also puts me to sleep which is great!